- Event tonight raising money for Olly Newman’s treatment
- Forthcoming What’s On diary, below
- Interview with singer-songwriter Laura Butlin, who is about to release her first EP
CLUBBERS will be fired a bolt of unknown this weekend as London DJs Krossbow bring their unique beats to the Splash sound system.
The glitch hop duo will be headlining Peas and Glove tonight, a special event organised to raise money for the treatment of 19-year-old Olly Newman, a talented musician and surfer who has been left unable to walk or talk after he was hit by an uninsured driver last October.
Joining the Glastonbury-performing act on the bill are local funk-inspired DJ Crashgroove and drum and bass duo JE3.
Event organiser Luke Hounslea said: ‘Krossbow are going to have everyone jumping.
‘They are something a bit different to the usual acts brought to the Splash, something that Jersey hasn’t really seen before.
‘I saw them at Boom Town festival – they had massive drums and a pretty dirty bass and really had the crowds going mad.
‘Our local DJs are both really great acts and will get the crowd raring to go, so I think it should be a quality night.’
And before the Splash opens its doors for the night-time event at 10 pm today, there will be plenty of other entertainment during the day.
Five bands –Acres, Kilig & Fernweh, Raw Prawn, The Pirate Party Brigade and Any Given Sunday will all be playing hour-long sets from 5 pm onwards.
‘We’ve got a great range of bands – Acres are a great acoustic set-up, Raw Prawn do some great 80s covers and Any Given Sunday are a really top sing-along band,’ Luke said.
‘We’ve just added a surfing competition during the day and we’ve also got stunt bike riding, a fire show and a raffle with some really great prizes – it should have something for just about everybody.’
All of the proceeds from the event will be given to The Peas and Glove Trust set up for Olly to help provide for his future needs and wellbeing.
‘It all began the day I met Rick Wakeman…’ – successful future beckons for singer-songwriter Laura Butlin, who is about to release her first EP
FROM jamming with Ozzy Osbourne’s keyboardist and rhythm guitarist to working on her debut EP, it has been a whirlwind few months for one Jersey singer-songwriter.
At 23 Islander Laura Butlin is making waves in the music industry, both in Jersey and in London.
And following a chance meeting with former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, Laura started writing and recording with his son Adam.
They are now finalising her debut EP and the singer-songwriter caught up with the JEP’s Nightlife to talk about the release and her future in music.
You’ve been working with Adam Wakeman (the current keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne’s band and son of Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman). How did that come about?
I was fortunate enough to play at a society event in London which Rick Wakeman attended.
I spoke to him afterwards and he thought I had a talent for songwriting and he liked my voice, so he took my contact information and said he’d be in touch.
He was such a lovely guy but I didn’t expect anything to come from it.
Then the next day there was a three-page email and he’d suggested I work with his son Adam.
Adam and I had a few conversations and decided it was best we meet before committing to working together, so I went over to Milton Keynes in December and we spent the day recording what has now become the first track on my debut EP.
When Adam suggested I make an EP, I knew the only person I’d want to help me do that was him. It was such an incredible opportunity to work with such a talented guy.
What did you learn from the experience of working with Adam?
I think the main thing Adam taught me was not to be afraid of change.
When discovering your sound it takes time to build a track up to where you want it to be.
I’m so happy with what we’ve come up with.
He taught me about the recording process, about mixing, building up tracks, the music business.
He really wanted me to understand each stage of what we were making so I could learn, and I’m really thankful for that.
SAT 30 MAY
- Blue Note: Live Electric Blues, at 4 pm
- The Green Rooster: Backbeat House Party
- The Inn: Frank T
- Kitty OSheas: Mark & Jim
- Mayfair Hotel: Skyline
- Radisson Blu: Lesina & Sam Walwyn
- Soleil: Northern Soul & Motown with DJ Rex
- The Star: Parazone
- Troubadour: The Blind Drivers
FRI 5 JUN
- Best Western Royal Hotel: Bar 27: The Dice Men
- Dolphin Hotel: Backbeat
- The Inn: Megan
- Kitty OSheas: Beatles tribute
- Metropole Hotel: Skyline
- The Pembroke: The Brightside
- The Star: Sgt Pipons
SAT 6 JUN
- Blue Note: Live Electric Blues, at 4 pm
- The Green Rooster: Backbeat House Party
- The Inn: Megan
- Kitty OSheas: Hayley Smith
- Mayfair Hotel: Skyline
- Savoy Hotel: The LQ 5 piece Latin-Jazz band
- Soleil: Northern Soul & Motown with DJ Rex
- The Star: The Watsons
Your music is slightly mellower than Ozzy’s. Are you a fan of Black Sabbath? What about Yes’s progressive rock?
You’re right, my music is different to Ozzy’s.
But like a lot of people, I’m a fan of multiple genres of music.
I remember listening to Yes when I was younger.
I can’t say I’ve listened to much Black Sabbath but Adam has just got back from a tour of South America with Ozzy, and you should see the size of the stadiums they played and the crowds.
What’s the creative process like when you go into the studio?
It started before the studio. I spent a lot of time writing songs.
I didn’t want to only have enough for the EP – I wanted to have more so we could pick the best for the EP.
So I’d write, record them on my iPhone and send over my seriously rough demos to Adam.
We both picked our top five, which luckily were the same, so when it came to getting in the studio we knew what we were starting on.
You’ve recently performed at the Troubadour in Earls Court, London – was that a very different experience to playing in Jersey?
Performing at the Troubadour in London was an amazing experience.
It felt different to anything else I’d done, as people really go there for the music.
The audience really want to hear you – drinking and catching up with friends take a back seat and people are really there to listen to you.
It was also great meeting some of the other acts who played that night.
The band that headlined the night (Grace Moon and the Jaguar) have asked if I’d like to co-write some tracks with them, so I’m looking forward to that.
So, talk to us about the new EP.
I’m currently focusing on the release of my debut EP Modern Playground Love, out later this year.
You can keep up to date about that at facebook.com/lauraemilybutlinmusic or on twitter @Laura_Butlin.
In an ideal world, what does the 12 months ahead hold for you?
My EP will be out and people will appreciate the work I’ve put in to make it happen.
I’d be happy to know in 12 months’ time that I’m still working alongside incredible people and continuing to write music and if people want to listen to it, that’s great too.
If you could collaborate with any artist or band living or dead, who would it be?
I’d love to work with Lana Del Rey.
I think she’s a really talented songwriter and I think she has a unique style of writing which I really appreciate. To me, it feels effortless.
Or James Bay, he’s doing so well at the moment.
